In recent years, industrial personal computers have become increasingly prevalent in many industries. It is not uncommon today to see rows of industrial PCs arranged in racks. While many of these industrial PCs are often designed and manufactured to higher standards than consumer PCs, they still are occasionally in need of repair. Typically, when a repair is needed, the PC is removed from the rack and taken to a computer repair facility. To remove the PC from the rack requires disconnecting the numerous connections between the PC and the wiring in the rack. Full-size industrial computers have enjoyed much success with blind-mateable connectors between the PC and the rack.
While these blind-mateable connectors have been used extensively in the past with full-size industrial PCs, they do have some drawbacks when used with smaller 1 U industrial PCs. For example, the typical blind-mateable connectors may be too large to easily fit in the usable space in the back of a 1 U industrial PC. It has been generally accepted in the art of manufacturing 1 U industrial personal computers that the only way to connect the computer to a rack is to manually connect a wiring harness to a connector on the terminal end of the 1 U industrial personal computer 110.
Additionally, it is common practice to make configuration changes to these 1 U personal computers, such as adding expansion cards. Such changes would often require a new interconnection scheme between the 1 U computer and the rack.
Consequently, there exists a need for improved methods and systems for connecting 1 U industrial personal computers in an efficient manner.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a system and method for connecting a 1 U industrial personal computer in an efficient manner.
It is a feature of the present invention to utilize pin and socket connector on a bracket at the end of the rear of the case of the 1 U PC.
It is another feature of the present invention to include a first standard connector, dedicated to standard features of the PC, and a second custom connector, dedicated for use with any expansion cards.
It is an advantage of the present invention to achieve improved flexibility and efficiency in installation of 1 U industrial personal computers.
The present invention is an apparatus and method for installing 1 U industrial personal computers designed to satisfy the aforementioned needs, provide the previously stated objects, include the above-listed features, and achieve the already articulated advantages. The present invention is carried out in a xe2x80x9cwasted time-lessxe2x80x9d manner in a sense that the time consumed with reconfiguring interconnections necessitated by addition or replacement of circuit cards within the PC, has been greatly reduced.
Accordingly, the present invention is a system and method including a 1 U industrial PC having a first PC blind mateable connector disposed thereon for cooperation with an associated first rack blind-mateable connector in the rack, and a second PC blind-mateable connector disposed thereon for cooperation with an associated second rack blind-mateable connector in the rack, where the first PC blind-mateable connector is dedicated for use with expansion cards disposed in said 1 U industrial computer.